Pneumatic tire.



C. D. SEEBERGER.

PNEUMATIC TIRE.

APPLICATION FILED ocT.1. |913.

m 34,701. Patented APM, 1915.

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. PNEUMATIG TIRE. l

To all whom it may concern l Be it known that/I, CHARLES D. SEEBERGER,

`a citizen of the United States, residing at. New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inl Pneumatic Tires, of which the following is a speciicatiomreference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to pneumatic tires for vehicles, and provides a structure comprising a plurality of collapsible tubes or containers arranged side by side to form'the tire-portion of the vehicle wheel and inated with air or other fluid vwhen in use, and an equalizing valve connecting them whereby the air or other fluid may pass from either container or tube tothe other when they are subjected to varying external pressures underv the usual conditions ofv use such-for example'as are caused by a stone or the camber of a road, and in case of decrease of pressurev in either tube or container as for example by puncture or blowout the sound one will be sealed.

The invention `consists inl the matters herein disclosed and then pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional view illustrating an embodiment of my present invention with a pair of automobile tires, and Fig. 2 is a side view of certain parts shown in Fig. 1.

In the drawings the reference numeral 5 indicates a pair of collapsible twin tubes or vessels to be inflated by air or other fluid and arranged side by side around the periphery of the wheel to form the tires for automobile wheels each provided with-the usual outer shoe or casing 6 secured .to the rim or felly 7 of the wheel by any suitable means. A' stem 8 is fixed to each tube and projects up through the supporting member 7, where it is provided with va union 9l by which it is suitably connected to one end of the equalizing valve case.

The valve case comprises a body 10 preferably circularin cross section supported on the inner face of i the rim by legs or brackets 11, and provided at either end with a head 12 preferably adjustably attached to the body of the caseand having a depending ,pipe 13 connected with'the union 9 and provided with a stop cock 14 having a handle `15, the body and heads forming a closed chamber normally communicating with the tubes. The ends Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

Application. filed Octobe 1, 1913. Serial No. 792,751.

ofthe body of the case are provided with `partition plates'l which divide the interior I chamber formed bv the body and the heads into acentral chamber 17 in the body of the 4case and end chambers 18 in the heads, `and each plate 16 has a central passageilto afford communication between the central.

chamber in the body of the case and the chambers formed in the heads. A balancing chamber 20 is formed inside the body of the case and within lthe central chamber by means of asuitable curved partition 21 and end plates 22 having screw threaded engagement therewith, and each end ofthe balancing chamber is connected to the associated chamber 18 formedv by one of the heads by means of a duct 23 forming a, bypass around the closure 16. A ton 24 fits within the chamber 20 and is provided with opposite stems 25 in the axial line of the chambers and each passing through a passage A19 in a partition 16 where it is Provided with a head or cone 26 .forming a valve adapted to seat in and close the correspondingly shaped passage 19, the stems being of sufficient length so that inthe normal positions of the parts both of the balanced pis-- passages will be open. The interior/of .the

balancing chamber 20 is provided with a sliding friction piece or packing 27 wherebyJ friction on the balanced piston 24 is regulated by means of a screw 28 passing through the body of the case and provided with a set nut 29 to hold it in adjustable position. The upper portion ofthe case 10 is obstruction shown for example at X hit by ,one of the -twin tubes a portion of the air or other fluid will pass from one tube to the otherand cause the latter `to bear a part of the additional burden which is thrown upon the rst tube. The free passage of the air between the tubes is afforded by the balanced piston remaining in its neutraloncentral position 'by reason of the equality of pressure on its* opposite sides through the ducts 23 from the two tubes 5 and the, consequent opening ofA the passages 19 to aiord free passage of air from onev tube to the other. So long as both tubes remain whole the air will pass back and Jforth between them, but in case the pressure in one of the tubes lfails or is reduced as for example by leakage or puncture or blow-out' the communication between the tubes will be broken and the sound tube will be sealed and isolated by means of the action of the air upon the piston 21. In practice the piston is subvso jected toa predetermined friction by means of the plate 27 suicient to represent a considerable resistance to motion and to hold the piston in balanced position against the action or pressure of the air upon the valves 26 as it may pass from one tube to the other under normal operating conditions, and so long as the, frictional resistance on the piston is in excess of the difference between the pressures in the twin .y tubes there will be no movement of the piston, but in `case the dilierence in these pressures becomes greater than the predetermined frictional resistance on the piston as in the event one of the tubes is punctured or blows out the drop in the pressure upon its side of the piston will cause the pressure upon the opposite side of the piston from the other inated tube through its associated duct 23 to move the piston to cause the corresponding valve 26 to close the passage 19 on the high 1 pressure side thereby sealing and isolating the sound tube. For example, if it be assumed that the left hand tube in Fig. 1 be-v comes punctured the drop in pressure upon its corresponding side of the piston 24 will cause the piston to be moved toward the left by .reason of the excess pressure upon the opposite side thereof from the right l hand tube through its duct 23 and the corresponding right hand valve 26 will close its passage 19 to seal the communication of the chamber .17 with the sound tube. ,By closing the stop cock 14 in the union of the de- :tecti've tube Kthe latter is closed off from the chamber 17 l'and it is then possible to introduce more pressure into the sound tube by a suitable ump or other injector applied to the nlpple 30 asthe air will not escape into the defectivetube and the pressure from the pump will open the valve 26 to the sound tube and the balancing valve will be restored to its normal central or neutral position. When the defective tube is replaced by4 a new one its stop cock 9 may be opened and the pressure restored in the two tubes.

By my invention the pressure in the twin tubes will remain equal whileythey are sub- ]ected to equal external pressure, and when one of them is subjected to an increased pressure some of its air will pass t5 its com :malerei arranged side by side to forma wheel-tire and containing fluid under pressure, a casing having aclosed chamber normally communicating with each of the tubes, valve mechanism in the casing governing the communications of the tubes with the chamber, and means in the chamber to move the valve mechanism to seal either vessel when the pressure in the other tube is reduced.

2. ln a device of the class described, the

combination of aapair of collapsible tubes arranged side by side to forma wheel-tire l and containing fluid under pressure, a casing having a closed chamber -normally communicating with the tubes, valve mechanism governing the communications of the tubes with the chamber, a piston controlling said valves, and means to move the piston to seal either tube when the pressure in the other tube is reduced.

3. ln a device of the class described, the combination of a pair of collapsible tubes arranged side by side to form a wheel-tire and containing fluid underpressure, a casing having a closed chamber normally communicating with the tubes, a pair of valves governing the communications of the tubes with the chamber, a piston-chamber in the casing, a piston in the piston-chamber controlling said valves,and a duct connecting the piston-chamber on each side ofthe piston with one of the tubes.

4; ln a device of the class described, the combination of a pair of collapsible tubes arranged side by side to form a wheel-tire and containing fluid under pressure, a casing having a central chamber and end chambers communicating with the tubes, a pair of valves governing the communications of the end chambers with the central chamber, a piston-chamber in the central chamber, a piston in the piston-chamber having stems carrying valves, 'and a duct connecting the piston-chamber on each side of the piston with one of the tubes.

v 5. In a device of the class described, a pair of collapsible tubes arranged side by side and containing air under pressure to form the tire of an automobile wheel, a casing having a closed chamber and provided with an air passage and by-pass between each tube and the chamber, valve mechanism in the casing governing said air passages, and means in the chamber to move the valve sure in the other tube is reduced.

6. -In a device of the class described, a pair of collapsible tubes arranged side by side andcontaining air under pressure to' form the tire-.of an automobile wheel, a casing"V having a closed chamber and provided with'r v "combination of a pair of collapsible tubesv an'air passage between each tube and' the chamber, a pair of valves governing said airy paages, a piston-chamber having opposite ducts leading to the respective air passages, a piston in the chamber between the ducts, and means to retard the motion of the piston.

7. In a device of the class described, a pair of collapsible tubes arranged' side by side and containing air under pressure to form the tire of an automobile wheel, a Acasing having a closed chamber and provided with an air passage between each tube and the chamber, a stop-cock in each passage, a pair of valves governing said air passages,

a piston-chamber having opposite ductslead-v in to the respective air passages on thenear si e of the cocks, a piston in the chamber vbetween ythe ducts, and means to produce friction on the piston. Y

8. In a device of the class described, the

arranged side by side to form a wheel tire, a casing having a closed air-chamber and provided with an air pipe between each tube and the chamber, valve mechanism to seal either tube when the other is out .of use, a stop-cock in each air pipe, and a valved airinlet for the air chamber.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES D. SEEBERGER.

Witnesses:

DORA A. SEEBERGER, 

